Veeranpuzha

Veeranpuzha is the name given to the northern stretch of Vembanad Lake between the Kochi and Munambam inlets, once also called Kadakkarakkayal. Lack of fresh water has kept settlements sparse, and its banks are lined with wide paddy fields. Ferries used to run from Munambam to Ernakulam in the early 1980s.

The fields grow Pokkali, a salt-tolerant rice raised by an organic cycle: rice from June to November while the water is fresh, then prawns from November to April when salinity rises and young prawns swim in through the sluice gates to feed on the stubble. Many farmers have since given up the work. Local visitors come mostly to fish with rod and line in the rainy season, and waterfront festivals have recently been organised to attract travellers from abroad.